WILLIAMSBURG, Va.—William & Mary (1-1-0) men's soccer matches up with No. 19 New Hampshire on Thursday afternoon at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. and the match will be broadcast on FloFC.
The game between the Tribe and Wildcats will serve as the first of a soccer doubleheader in Williamsburg on Thursday. W&M women's soccer hosts George Mason at 7 p.m.
TRIBE NOTES
Last Time Out:
The Tribe fell behind early at Coastal Carolina on Monday, trailing by a score of 2-0 at the halftime break. The second half saw William & Mary outshoot the Chanticleers eight to four and pull within one goal after
Lucas Caldas' strike in the 53
rd minute. The sophomore took a through ball from
Aidan Morrison and converted from 17 yards out. Despite some chances late in the match the Tribe couldn't overcome the first half deficit, falling 2-1.
First of Many:
Morrison's assist on Monday served as his first collegiate point in his second career game. The Denver, N.C. native was selected to the preseason Freshman All-America team by Top Drawer Soccer. He recorded 23 goals and 10 assists in 12 games for East Lincoln High School last year where he earned all-state honors.
On the Attack:
The Tribe have practically doubled up their opponents in the shot totals through their first two matches of 2023. They have taken 32 tries for goal so far, compared to just 17 by their first two opponents. For reference, a year ago W&M had attempted just 19 shots through their first two games. Although early in the season, the Tribe rank 19
th in the nation in shots on goal per game. They sit first in the CAA in the same category and second in total shots attempted.
Ain't Nothing but a Number:
Since 2019 the Green and Gold have found success against nationally ranked opponents. The Tribe sits at 2-1-1 over the last four seasons against teams inside the top-25. Their most recent matchup with a ranked opponent came in October of last year when they took down No. 10 Wake Forest at Martin Family Stadium.
Series History:
Thursday serves as the first ever meeting between W&M and UNH on the pitch. The Wildcats, are members of the America East conference, making it the second straight home match for William & Mary against an America East team. The Tribe are unbeaten all-time against current America East members with a record of 6-0-2.
Scouting the Wildcats:
UNH hold the 19th position in the United Soccer Coaches poll after finishing the previous year ranked 21
st. The Wildcats will be making their second trip to the Commonwealth in the last week, after opening their season with a 1-1 draw at VCU. They returned home and took care of Boston University by a score of 2-1 on Sunday.
New Hampshire returns 15 players from their 2022 squad that finished the year 15-4-1, losing to FIU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They are 40-9-10 in non-conference matches over the last six-plus seasons. Eli Goldman returns for the Wildcats after leading the team in goals a season ago with nine.
